Reflections of Malaysian parents of children with developmental disabilities on their experiences with AAC

Abstract

Parents play an important role in the successful implementation of AAC. Previous research has indicated that parents in different countries have varying perceptions about the use of AAC and face different challenges in its implementation. To date, there is limited information about the use of AAC by children in Malaysia or parents’ views about its use. The aim of this study was to explore Malaysian parents’ perception of AAC and their experience when supporting their children who use AAC. For this study, 12 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy were involved in semi-structured individual interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze interview data. Following analysis, three themes were identified: (a) impact of the use of AAC, (b) challenges faced, and (c) hopes and expectations. Participants reported that the use of AAC had a positive impact on their children, but that they faced challenges related to the child, the settings, and the system itself, as well as a lack of time and support. Findings from this study provide an insight for Malaysian speech therapists about the challenges faced by parents when supporting their children who use AAC, and how important it is to overcome these challenges to ensure successful implementation of AAC.

Keywords:

• Malaysia
• augmentative and alternative communication
• children
• families
• disabilities

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes

1 Makaton™ is a product of The Makaton Charity, Westmead House, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14, UK. www.makaton.org

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia [Grant number GGPM-2013-098].